Drive for conveyer belts



E. v. RINEHART DRIVE FOR CONVEYER BELTS Filed June a, 1951 Ill/A V'l////l I ll Ill/A March 17, 1953 INVENTOR. f. 0 ,l/ f .4 I f ATTQRNEY mm2 D Patented Mar. 17, 1953 UNITED. STATES PATENT OFFICE Ernest V.Rinehart, Sterling, 111., assignor of onehalf to Lourde T. Renner,Sterling, Ill.

, Application June 8, 1951, Serial No. 230,518

The present invention relates to the art of pulleys for conveyor belts.

Conveyor belts are normally driven from an external source of power,such as a motor, which is connected, as by belts, to drive one of theconveyor belt pulleys. As a space saver, the motor is frequently locatedwithin the endless conveyor belt. Regardless of whether the motor is solocated, or is located externally, there is the immediate problem ofplant safety from either the gears or belts which are employed for thedriving connection.

'Objects'of the present invention are the provision of' improved drivingpulleys for conveyor belts, the provision of driving pulleys in whichthe drive mechanism is contained therein, and the provision of conveyorbelt drive pulleys which avoid the hazards normally encountered. Ihave,also, such further objects, advantages, and capabilities as willhereafter appear and as are inherent in the structure'disclosed herein.My invention further resides in the combination, construction, andarrangement of parts illustrated in the accompanying drawings and, whileI have shown therein what is now regarded as the preferred embodiment ofthis invention, I desire the same to be regarded as illustrative onlyand not to be interpreted in a limiting sense.

A preferred form of the present invention is shown in the accompanyingdrawings, in which Fig. 1 is a longitudinal axial section, and

Fig. 2 is a left end view of the structure shown in Fig. 1.

In the specific form of this invention shown, a pulley cylinder 3 isprovided with heads 4 and 5 which may be either welded in place orbolted to the cylinder 3 to provide ready access to the drive structuretherein. Each of heads 4 and 5 has secured thereto a hollow stub shaft 6and secured to the heads 4 and 5 by flange plates 8 and 9. The stubshafts 6 and l are supported for rotation by conventional pillow blocksI and IDA, which, in turn, are supported from the frame of the conveyor.The pulley cylinder 3, heads 4 and 5, and stub shafts 6 and 1 rotate asa unit.

A power unit frame is contained within the pulley cylinder 3. This frameis constituted of a plate II and arms I2 and I4 at the ends thereof. Thearms l2 and I4 carry hollow shafts I and I5, respectively, which shaftsare in axial alignment with the axis of the pulley cylinder 3. Thehollow shafts I5 and I6 extend through the heads 4 and 5 to and withinthe stub shafts 6 and 1. Suitable bearings, such as roller bearings H,are provided to facilitate relative rotation of the hollow stub shafts 6and 1 and the hollow shafts 4 Claims. (Cl. 198-203) I5 and IS. Thehollow shaft I6, which extends beyond the hollow stub shaft I, is keyedto the locking flange plate l8, which is bolted to the pillow block IDA.The power unit frame is thereby held against rotation. A key |8A servesas securing means between the shaft i6 and the flange I833. A furthersecuring means |8C secures the locking flange plate I8 to the pillowblock IliA. Therefore, since IOA is .secured against rotation, itresults in the locking flange plate |8 not being rotated, and thisresults in the flange I83 and the hollow shaft I6 being held againstrotation. Since the shaft I6 does not rotate, this results in the arm l4being held fixed, and plate II, which is secured to the arms I2 and I4,remains stationary and supports motor I9 and speed reducer 2D. The motorI9 and speed reducer 20, with a low speed drive shaft 2|, are mounted onthe power unit frame and, since the shaft I6 is hollow, it can beemployed for wiring power to the motor I9.

The low speed drive shaft 2| is in alignment with an extension 2|A whichacts as a universal joint to prevent breaking in case of misalignment ofthe unit comprising the motor I9 and the speed reducer 20. The extension2|A has .a tongue ZIB- which fits into a slot in a driving plate or nut22, which is held by Allen set screws in the hollow stub shaft 6.

Shaft sections 2| and 2|A are connected by a tongue and grooveconnection, and also by :a pin. The latter prevents sliding of section2IA relatively to section 2|, and prevents breakage of the shaft inevent hollow shafts I5 and I6 are not perfectly in alignment. As will benoted from Fig. 2, the end of section 2|A is flattened, as shown at 2|B.This flattened section or tongue 2|B fits in a similarly shaped openingin the drive plate or nut 22 and serves as a driving connection betweenthe speed reducer 20 and the drive plate 22. Hence, the drive is fromshaft 2|, section 2 IA, drive plate 22, hollow shaft 6, head 4, and drum3.

In operation, the stationary structure includes the pillow blocks l0,locking flange plate I8, the power unit frame, which is constituted ofthe plate II, the arms l2 and I4, and shafts I5 and IB, together withthe motor I9 and the speed reducer 20. When power is delivered to themotor I9, the speed reducer 20, driven thereby, rotates the shaft 2|.Shaft 2| is in driving engagement, through section 2 IA, tongue 2|B, anddrive plate 22 with the stub shaft 6, and causes rotation thereof. Sincestub shaft 6 is fixed with respect to the pulley cylinder 3, driving ofthe cylinder is effected. By removal of three bolts 23, at each end ofthe cylinder 3, one-half thereof can be removed to expose the motor I 9and the speed reducer 20 for any necessary work connected therewith.Necessary ventilation is provided by the holes 24 in the heads 4 and 5.

Pillow block IOA is connected to whatever is necessary to support thesame and it has locking flange plate l8 secured thereto. The lockingflange plate 18 is counter-bored on the inside to prevent rubbing of theshaft 1 on the flange plate.

The present application is, in part, a continuation of application,Serial No. 136,034, now abandoned.

It is of course understood that the specific description of structureset forth above may be departed from without departing from the spiritof my invention as disclosed herein and as defined by the appendedclaims.

Having now described my invention, I claim:

1, A conveyor drive pulley, comprising a pulley cylinder having heads,hollow stub shafts fixed to Said he s axially thereof and mounted forrotation of said shafts and cylinder, a frame within said cylinder andprovided with hollow fixed shafts extending into said hollow stub shaftssaid frame extending throughout the length of said cylinder, the framebeing supported entirely and solely by said hollow fixed shafts, saidframe bein fixed relation to the cylinder, the cylinder being rotatableabout said frame, pillow blocks for supporting said hollow fixed shafts,one or said pillow blocks holding said hollow fixed shafts a ainstrotation. at power unit mounted upon said fixed frame and havin a driveshaft in alignment with the other of said hollow fixed shafts. nd meansdrivin ly engagin said drive shaft an the adjacent hollow stub shaftthrough said other hollow fixed shaft.

2. A conveyor drive pulley comprising a drum provided with hollow shaftsextending axially from the ends of the drum and mounted thereby forrotation, a fixed frame within said drum having a first tubular shaftextending through a first one of said hollow shafts and said frame beingheld against rotation, said frame having a second tubular shaftextending into the second of said hollow shafts, a power unit mounted onsaid frame and having a drive shaft extending into said second tubularshaft, said second tubular shaft being fixed, and means extending intosaid second tubular shaft in driven engagement with said drive shaft andfixed to the second hollow shaft, whereby, upon rotation of said driveshaft, said means and said drum are rotated.

3. A driving unit for a conveyor belt comprising supports, a drum forthe belt or conveyor to run over, a supporting unit inside of the drum,hollow shafts extending axially through the ends of the drum and mountedin said supports, holding means to which the outer end of one of saidhollow shafts is secured to prevent rotation thereof and of thesupporting unit in the drum, driving means, having a rotatable shaft,supported by said supporting unit, said driving means being fixed inposition and being connected in driving relation to said drum, and saidrotatable shaft being divided into parts connected together by a tongueand'groove connection whereby power may ,be transmitted from the drivingmeans to the drum and misalignmentfof the axle and the hol low shaftwill not cause breaking of the shaft.

4. A conveyor drive pulley-comprising a drum having axially extendinghollow shafts, fixed pillow blocks in which the axially extending hollowshafts are mounted for rotation, a locking flanged plate fixed to theend of one Of the pillow blocks, a first hollow shaft extending throughone end of the drum and receiving the drum in rotatable relation, a keyconnecting the said first hollow shaft and the locking flanged platefixed to the pillow block, a similar non-rotatable shaft extendingthrough the other end of the drum, extending partly through the secondpillow block, an axially extending second hollow shaft being rotatablein the second pillow block, the second hollow shaft having a drivingplate secured relatively non-rotatably in the end thereof, said platehaving a non-circular hole therethrough in axial alignment with thenon-rotatable shaft extending through the second end of the drum, aframe suspended from the non-rotatable hollow shafts, a power unitsupported on the frame, a sectional shaft extending through thnon-rotatable shaft at the second end of the drum. said, S t n l shaftbeing connected in driving relation with the shaft of the power unit,and roller bearings between the pillowblocks and the hollow shafts.

ERNEST V. RINEHART.

No references cited.

